Elevated immune gene expression is associated with poor reproductive success of urban blue tits

Urban and forest habitats differ in many aspects that can lead to modifications of the immune system of wild animals. Altered parasite communities, pollution, and artificial light at night in cities have been associated with exacerbated inflammatory responses, with possibly negative fitness consequences, but few data are available from free-living animals. Here, we investigate how urbanization affects major immune pathways and experimentally test potentially contributing factors in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) from an urban and forest site. We first compared breeding adults by quantifying the mRNA transcript levels of proteins associated with anti-bacterial, anti-malarial (TLR4, LY86) and anti-helminthic (Type 2 transcription factor GATA3) immune responses. Adult urban and forest blue tits differed in gene expression, with significantly increased TLR4 and GATA3, but not LY86, in the city. We then experimentally tested whether these differences were environmentally induced by cross-fostering eggs between the sites and measuring mRNA transcripts in nestlings. The populations differed in reduced reproductive success, with a lower fledging success and lower fledgling weight recorded at the urban site. This mirrors the findings of our twin study reporting that the urban site was severely resource limited when compared to the forest. Because of low urban survival, robust gene expression data were only obtained from nestlings reared in the forest. Transcript levels in these nestlings showed no (TLR4, LY86), or weak (GATA3), differences according to their origin from forest or city nests, suggesting little genetic or maternal contribution to nestling immune transcript levels. Lastly, to investigate differences in parasite pressure between urban and forest sites, we measured the prevalence of malaria in adult and nestling blood. Prevalence was invariably high across environments and not associated with the transcript levels of the studied immune genes. Our results support the hypothesis that inflammatory pathways are activated in an urban environment and suggest that these differences are most likely induced by environmental factors

Risk management as a basis for integrated water cycle management in Kazakhstan

Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) aims to bring together a diversity of social, environmental, technological and economic aspects to implement sustainable water and land management systems. This paper investigates the challenges and opportunities facing Kazakhstan as it its efforts to move towards a more sustainable approach to managing its finite and highly stressed water resources. The use of a strategic-level risk governance framework to support a multi-disciplinary Kazakh-EU consortium in working collabora-tively towards enhancing capacity and capability to address identified challenges is described. With a clear focus on addressing capacity building needs, a strong emphasis is placed on developing taught integrated water cycle management programmes through communi-cation, stakeholder engagement and policy development including appropriate tools for managing the water issues including hydraulic models, GIS-based systems and scenario developments. Conclusions on the benefits of implementing an EU-style Water Framework Directive for Central Asia based on a risk management approach in Kazakhstan are formulated

No-core shell model for 48-Ca, 48-Sc and 48-Ti

We report the first no-core shell model results for $^{48}Ca$, $^{48}Sc$ and $^{48}Ti$ with derived and modified two-body Hamiltonians. We use an oscillator basis with a limited $\hbar\Omega$ range around $45/A^{1/3}-25/A^{2/3} = 10.5 MeV$ and a limited model space up to $1\hbar\Omega$. No single-particle energies are used. We find that the charge dependence of the bulk binding energy of eight A=48 nuclei is reasonably described with an effective Hamiltonian derived from the CD-Bonn interaction while there is an overall underbinding by about 0.4 MeV/nucleon. However, the resulting spectra exhibit deficiencies that are anticipated due to: (1) basis space limitations and/or the absence of effective many-body interactions; and, (2) the absence of genuine three-nucleon interactions. We then introduce additive isospin-dependent central terms plus a tensor force to our Hamiltonian and achieve accurate binding energies and reasonable spectra for all three nuclei. The resulting no-core shell model opens a path for applications to the double-beta ($\beta\beta$) decay process.Comment: Revised content and added reference

Frame transformation and geoid undulation transfer to GNSS real time positions through the new RTCM 3.1 transformation messages

Radio Technical Commission for Marine Services (RTCM) standardised messages play an important role in real time Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) applications such as navigation, positioning, civil engineering, surveying, and cartographic or cadastral production. One of the latest agreements on RTCM definitions contains the data fields for real time geodetic reference frame transformation and orthometric heights computation by received geoid undulations via internet protocol. These parameters can be generated dynamically by a GNSS data centre in a network of reference stations, encapsulated in RTCM messages and broadcasted to the rover location so they are centrally administered and the same frame transformations and geoid model are available to every user in the field, obtaining results in a local reference frame in real time. This paper summarises the functionality of the new RTCM 3?1 transformation messages, describes limitations and provides ideas about the possible use for solving specific problems. Test field campaigns are used to describe the real performance and usefulness of these new RTCM 3?1 messagesCapilla Roma, R.; Martín Furones, ÁE.; Anquela Julián, AB.; Berné Valero, JL. (2012). Frame transformation and geoid undulation transfer to GNSS real time positions through the new RTCM 3.1 transformation messages. Survey Review. 44(324):30-36. doi:10.1179/1752270611Y.0000000010S303644324Benciolini, B., Biagi, L., Crespi, M., Manzino, A. M., & Roggero, M. (2008). Reference frames for GNSS positioning services: Some problems and proposed solutions. Journal of Applied Geodesy, 2(1). doi:10.1515/jag.2008.006González-Matesanz, J., Dalda, A., & Malpica, J. A. (2006). A RANGE OF ED50-ETRS89 DATUM TRANSFORMATION MODELS TESTED ON THE SPANISH GEODETIC NETWORK. Survey Review, 38(302), 654-667. doi:10.1179/sre.2006.38.302.654Soler, T., & Marshall, J. (2003). A note on frame transformations with applications to geodetic datums. GPS Solutions, 7(2), 148-149. doi:10.1007/s10291-003-0063-

Associations Between Severity of Depression, Lifestyle Patterns, and Personal Factors Related to Health Behavior: Secondary Data Analysis From a Randomized Controlled Trial

Depression is a prevalent condition that has a significant impact on psychosocial functioning and quality of life. The onset and persistence of depression have been linked to a variety of biological and psychosocial variables. Many of these variables are associated with specific lifestyle characteristics, such as physical activity, diet, and sleep patterns. Some psychosocial determinants have an impact on people’ health-related behavior change. These include personal factors such as sense of coherence, patient activation, health literacy, self-efficacy, and procrastination. This study aims to analyze the association between the severity of depression, lifestyle patterns, and personal factors related to health behavior. It also aims to analyze whether personal factors moderate the relationship between lifestyles and depression.MethodsThis study is a secondary data analysis (SDA) of baseline data collected at the start of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). A sample of 226 patients with subclinical, mild, or moderate depression from primary healthcare centers in two sites in Spain (Zaragoza and Mallorca) was used, and descriptive, bivariate, multivariate, and moderation analyses were performed. Depression was the primary outcome, measured by Beck II Self-Applied Depression Inventory. Lifestyle variables such as physical exercise, adherence to Mediterranean diet and sleep quality, social support, and personal factors such as self-efficacy, patient activation in their own health, sense of coherence, health literacy, and procrastination were considered secondary outcomes.ResultsLow sense of coherence (β = −0.172; p < 0.001), poor sleep quality (β = 0.179; p = 0.008), low patient activation (β = −0.119; p = 0.019), and sedentarism (more minutes seated per day; β = 0.003; p = 0.025) are predictors of having more depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses were not significant.DiscussionLifestyle and personal factors are related to depressive symptomatology. Our findings reveal that sense of coherence, patient’s activation level, sedentarism, and sleep quality are associated with depression. Further research is needed regarding adherence to Mediterranean diet, minutes walking per week and the interrelationship between lifestyles, personal factors, and depression

Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials Can Be Explained by Temporal Superposition of Transient Event-Related Responses

<p><b>Background:</b> One common criterion for classifying electrophysiological brain responses is based on the distinction between transient (i.e. event-related potentials, ERPs) and steady-state responses (SSRs). The generation of SSRs is usually attributed to the entrainment of a neural rhythm driven by the stimulus train. However, a more parsimonious account suggests that SSRs might result from the linear addition of the transient responses elicited by each stimulus. This study aimed to investigate this possibility.</p> <p><b>Methodology/Principal Findings::</b> We recorded brain potentials elicited by a checkerboard stimulus reversing at different rates. We modeled SSRs by sequentially shifting and linearly adding rate-specific ERPs. Our results show a strong resemblance between recorded and synthetic SSRs, supporting the superposition hypothesis. Furthermore, we did not find evidence of entrainment of a neural oscillation at the stimulation frequency.</p> <p><b>Conclusions/Significance:</b> This study provides evidence that visual SSRs can be explained as a superposition of transient ERPs. These findings have critical implications in our current understanding of brain oscillations. Contrary to the idea that neural networks can be tuned to a wide range of frequencies, our findings rather suggest that the oscillatory response of a given neural network is constrained within its natural frequency range.</p&gt

Oscillatory brain mechanisms supporting response cancellation in selective stopping strategies

Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the neural substrates of simple or global stopping, the neural mechanisms supporting selective stopping remain less understood. The selectivity of the stop process is often required in our everyday life in situations where responses must be suppressed to certain signals but not others. Here, we examined the oscillatory brain mechanisms of response cancellation in selective stopping by controlling for the different strategies adopted by participants (n = 54) to accomplish a stimulus selective stop-signal task. We found that successfully cancelling an initiated response was specifically associated with increased oscillatory activity in the high-beta frequency range in the strategy characterized by stopping selectively (the so called dependent Discriminate then Stop, dDtS), but not in the strategy characterized by stopping non-selectively (Stop then Discriminate, StD). Beamforming source reconstruction suggests that this high-beta activity was mainly generated in the superior frontal gyrus (including the pre-supplementary motor area) and the middle frontal gyrus. Present findings provide neural support for the existence of different strategies for solving selective stopping tasks. Specifically, differences between strategies were observed in the oscillatory activity associated with the stop process and were restricted to the high-beta frequency range. Moreover, current results provide important evidence suggesting that high-beta oscillations in superior and middle frontal cortices play an essential role in cancelling an initiated motor responseThis work was supported by grants PSI2015-68368-P and PSI2017- 679 84922-R (MINECO), and H2015/HUM-3327 from the Comunidad de Madri

Topographic characterisation of dental implants for commercial use

To characterize the surface topography of several dental implants for commercial use. Dental implants analyzed were Certain (Biomet 3i), Tissue Level (Straumann), Interna (BTI), MG-InHex (MozoGrau), SPI (Alphabio) and Hikelt (Bioner). Surface topography was ascertained using a confocal microscope with white light. Roughness parameters obtained were: Ra, Rq, Rv, Rp, Rt, Rsk and Rku. The results were analysed using single-factor ANOVA and Student-Neuman-Keuls(p<0.05) tests. Certain and Hikelt obtained the highest Ra and Rq scores, followed by Tissue Level. Interna and SPI obtained lower scores, and MG-InHex obtained the lowest score. Rv scores followed the same trend. Certain obtained the highest Rp score, followed by SPI and Hikelt, then Interna and Tissue Level. MG-InHex obtained the lowest scores. Certain obtained the highest Rt score, followed by Interna and Hikelt, then SPI and Tissue Level. The lowest scores were for MG-InHex. Rsk was negative (punctured surface) in the MG-InHex, SPI and Tissue Level systems, and positive (pointed surface) in the other systems. Rku was higher than 3 (Leptokurtic) in Tissue Level, Interna, MG-InHex and SPI, and lower than 3 (Platykurtic) in Certain and Hikelt. The type of implant determines surface topography, and there are differences in the roughness parameters of the various makes of implants for clinical use

Caffeic acid and hydroxytyrosol have anti-obesogenic properties in zebrafish and rainbow trout models

Some natural products, known sources of bioactive compounds with a wide range of properties, may have therapeutic values in human health and diseases, as well as agronomic applications. The effect of three compounds of plant origin with well-known dietary antioxidant properties, astaxanthin (ATX), caffeic acid (CA) and hydroxytyrosol (HT), on zebrafish (Danio rerio) larval adiposity and rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss) adipocytes was assessed. The zebrafish obesogenic test (ZOT) demonstrated the anti-obesogenic activity of CA and HT. These compounds were able to counteract the obesogenic effect produced by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR.) agonist, rosiglitazone (RGZ). CA and HT suppressed RGZ-increased PPAR. protein expression and lipid accumulation in primary-cultured rainbow trout adipocytes. HT also significantly reduced plasma triacylglycerol concentrations, as well as mRNA levels of the fasn adipogenic gene in the adipose tissue of HT-injected rainbow trout. In conclusion, in vitro and in vivo approaches demonstrated the anti-obesogenic potential of CA and HT on teleost fish models that may be relevant for studying their molecular mode of action. Further studies are required to evaluate the effect of these bioactive components as food supplements for modulating adiposity in farmed fish